


These gentle games

by Nary



Category: Adventure World (game)
Genre: Carriage Sex, Conversations, Dirty Talk, Dominance, Drunk Sex, F/M, Group Marriage, Mild Kink, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Polyamory, Relationship Discussions, Sex Club, Submission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-04
Updated: 2014-02-04
Packaged: 2018-01-11 04:46:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1168859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It feels wonderful to be out tonight, relaxing… It’s good to be reminded that there are things in this world other than politics and babies,” Ardith chuckled.</p><p>“Well, there are certainly politics here,” Aleyn replied.  “Just at a more... personal level.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	These gentle games

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Late Night Reassurances](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1068170) by [Measured_Words](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured_Words/pseuds/Measured_Words). 



> Thanks to all my AW folks for their feedback on this story!

“Are you sure it looks all right?” Aleyn glanced nervously down at the tightly-fitted tunic, so snug that it had to be laced along the sides to put it on. “It’s just a bit more… revealing than I would usually wear.”

Ardith smiled, stroking his arm as they walked up the stairs to Alia’s club, the Collar and Cuffs. “You look splendid,” she assured him. “Vedran wouldn’t have let you go out to an event like this without being satisfied that you were presentable.” 

Aleyn smiled back, but there was a little bit of melancholy there as well. “I wish he could have come with us. I mean… I know why he wouldn’t want to, I don’t blame him at all. I just wish….”

“I know,” Ardith replied sympathetically. “What about me,” she asked, changing the subject, “do I look good?” It was only a couple of months past the birth of their son Edric, and Aleyn knew she was still feeling a little self-conscious about her figure. However, Aleyn thought she looked back to normal, and the dark purple corset and flowing silk skirt she was wearing tonight certainly helped emphasize her ample curves. 

“You’re beautiful,” he told her sincerely. “And I like that colour on you, it brings out your darker scales.”

“Thank you,” she beamed, and pushed open the door into the club. The party was already underway, the room crowded with guests in various states of undress. Alia’s plans for her establishment were broad, with a variety of forms of entertainment available - so aside from the usual food and drinks, games and gambling, music and dancing, she had set aside certain nights for ‘specialty’ events. Tonight, the theme of the evening was ‘fetishes’. Alia had been concerned that there wouldn’t be many people there, as it was the first time she’d held such an event, but that worry was evidently groundless. 

Aleyn and Ardith scanned the crowd looking for their host, or indeed anyone else they knew. Some of the Pak were in attendance, and waved to them from across the room, where they had seats at the bar. Seeing them arrive, Alia made her way through the crowd to greet them. She wore a piece of carefully-draped gauze and not much else. “Glad you could make it,” she said cheerfully, handing each of them a drink.

“We wouldn’t have missed it,” Aleyn assured her. “It seems like everything is going well so far.”

“A couple minor hiccups, but nothing I couldn’t handle,” Alia replied. “A few folks who’ve had to be bounced for playing too rough, including some unplanned knifeplay when one guy couldn’t get his friend’s knots undone and decided to improvise. So far, so good though.” She lowered her voice slightly. “Vedran’s okay with things, right? I mean, we talked when he told me he wouldn’t be here, and I said it was fine, obviously, but I just wanted to make sure…”

“He’s well,” Ardith told their friend. “He was happy to stay home with the kids tonight - it’s my first chance to go out to an adult event since Edric was born, and he told us to have fun.”

“Heh, well, this event is pretty damned adult,” Alia laughed. “You picked a good night to rejoin society. Just let me know if you need anything, okay? A rope, a riding crop, some oil… we’ve got plenty to spare, I ordered a vat of the stuff.”

“Oh, thank you,” Ardith said, blushing. Aleyn smirked but didn’t want to embarrass her further, so confined himself to also thanking Alia for her thoughtfulness and promising they would let her know if there was anything they required.

He and Ardith made their way through the crowded room, weaving around guests, stopping occasionally to say hello to various people they knew. Nachtur’s population was still relatively small compared to, say, Highmark’s, and it seemed like everywhere they went, they bumped into acquaintances - or at least, people who knew who they were, seeing as how they were sort of celebrities these days. Most people were less inclined to have a long conversation when they were half-naked, though, or being led on a leash, or were strapped to a bar hanging from the ceiling, and they were able to find their way to a booth and sit down eventually.

Aleyn took a sip of the drink Alia had given him, and smiled - it was some good-quality dwarven rum. He suspected Beryl had a hand in that, whether she knew it or not. “It’s kind of strong,” he cautioned Ardith. “Do you want me to get you something else?”

“It should be all right,” she said. “I won’t have to feed Edric again until morning, and anything I drink now will be out of my system by then.” She gulped some of the rum down, smiling. “It feels wonderful to be out tonight, relaxing… It’s good to be reminded that there are things in this world other than politics and babies,” she chuckled.

“Well, there are certainly politics here,” Aleyn replied. “Just at a more... personal level.”

“You mean in terms of negotiations and so on?”

“That, and… I suppose you could say the exchange of power, whether on a short-term or long-term basis. People putting their trust in one another, that they’re going to fulfill their side of the bargain and not over-reach their bounds or abuse the authority they’ve been given. Like Alia was saying - step too far over that line, and you’ll wind up out in the cold.”

“That’s all well and good for a place like this, where there are people keeping an eye on things and making sure they don’t get out of hand,” Ardith said. “But some people do this all the time, right? At home, in their daily lives…”

“A few,” Aleyn agreed. “For some people it’s a lifestyle they’ve chosen. Some Asmodeans live that way, I gather, but it’s not necessarily a religious thing - some people just prefer it. For others, it’s an occasional activity, just for a change of pace. Like…” He sought momentarily for an example. “Like sometimes wanting an apple, and sometimes wanting an orange. That’s a terrible analogy, but you know what I mean, I hope.”

“For variety,” she suggested, looking out around the room. “There is certainly plenty of variety on display here tonight.” 

“Well, if there’s one thing my service at the temple of Sehanine has taught me, it’s that people have varied tastes,” Aleyn said with a smile. “Very varied.”

Ardith nodded. “I’m interested in what people get out of these sorts of activities,” she mused, her gaze moving over the crowd. “Although I’m sure it depends on the person.”

“Definitely,” Aleyn agreed. “For some people, I would say it’s about control. Gaining it, keeping it, giving it up. Perhaps if they feel out of control in some other aspects of their life, this can be an area where they can exert the control they’re otherwise lacking. Or maybe it helps them to relax if they know there are certain boundaries, rules that they can follow…” 

He nodded in the direction of a shadar-kai woman across from their table who was strapped to a rack, being flogged by her dwarven companion. “The physical component, up to and including pain, can also be relaxing for some people, strange as that might sound. Friends at the temple have told me that experiencing that sort of… safe pain, if you will, can help them to release their tension, the emotions that they keep pent up otherwise. Others find satisfaction in inflicting that pain, in knowing they have that power over others…”

“It seems like it could very easily cross into dangerous territory,” Ardith said cautiously, glancing at Aleyn. 

“If the people involved aren’t trustworthy, or if they don’t communicate clearly what they’re both looking for, it can,” he replied, meeting her gaze. He wondered if she was thinking about Vedran, about his first marriage. “I’m sure we both know how that can happen, in a bad relationship.”

“And hopefully how to avoid it,” she said, taking another drink. She seemed like she was considering her next words carefully. “Is it something you’ve ever tried? Or wanted to try?”

“Some aspects of it, yes,” he told her. “I’m really not interested in the pain side of things, whether giving or receiving it, or at least nothing too extreme… um, I like some biting, scratching, pulling hair and so on, that’s all good.” He took her hand, lightly stroking her claws, blushing a little. 

“I’m sorry if I’m too rough sometimes,” she apologized, but he shook his head.

“No, I mean, that’s fine. I can handle that - and enjoy it. I don’t want you to feel like you have to hold back on those sorts of things with me, just because I’m squishy and fragile,” he teased. “And if it’s ever too much, I know I can tell you.”

She nodded. “I should hope you would! I don’t want to hurt you and Vedran by accident…” 

“Only on purpose?” Aleyn smiled to show he was half-joking.

“I don’t think I would enjoy that either,” Ardith said slowly. “I would feel terrible if I ever went too far. And the responsibility would be too much for me to be able to relax and enjoy things. Maybe I could learn to like it, if either of you was very keen to try it, but it’s not something I would seek out on my own.” 

Aleyn nodded. “For me, I feel more comfortable if I’m in control of things. I mean, I enjoy it when… when nobody’s ‘in charge’, either, when we can just be equals. But I like being able to help people, and sometimes what they need for help is just… to let go of being in control for a little while.” He glanced over at her. “Sometimes that’s what Vedran needs, and I’m glad that I can give him that.”

Ardith looked thoughtful, nodding with understanding. “I can see why that would be helpful for him… he carries so much responsibility all the time, and sometimes it must be just unbearable. I’m glad that he can get some relief from his burdens, however it happens.”

“I didn’t know at first how he would handle it, but once we’d tried it a few times, it seemed to get easier for him.” Aleyn took another swallow of his drink. “And… it’s the only way I’ve found that lets him feel comfortable doing away with all the layers of asking and granting permission that he normally uses to make everything safer. It’s not something we do all the time, just when he seems to really need it,” he explained. 

“I understand,” Ardith told him, squeezing his hand. “I hope it’s not just for him, though - I hope you get something pleasurable out of it too.”

“Oh… yes,” Aleyn admitted, blushing more deeply. “I definitely enjoy it. Being free to tell him what I think he needs, or wants… and having him do it just because I told him to... it’s very exciting. And, like I said, there’s the satisfaction of knowing I’m helping him to put aside his worries and stress for a little while. It makes me feel… special, important, knowing that I can give him that.” He turned to Ardith with a playful smile. “And, well, I usually get him to do some pretty sexy things, so of course that part is enjoyable for me too.”

“That sounds like a definite understatement to me,” Ardith teased. Underneath the table her leg brushed flirtatiously against his. “Actually, it sounds very enticing…”

“Something you’d like to watch some time?” Aleyn inquired, arching an eyebrow saucily.

“Definitely, if it was all right with Vedran,” Ardith told him, smiling back. “But also maybe something I’d like to try myself.”

“Oh?” Aleyn was a little surprised, but intrigued as well. 

“I’m considering it, at least,” she replied. “The thought of letting go of responsibilities and pressures for a little while and just… doing as you’re told… sounds potentially appealing.” She twined her fingers with his.

Aleyn nodded. “I could…” But whatever he was about to say was cut off as Agyness walked up to their table, offering to get them another round of drinks and eager to talk to someone familiar who wasn't one of her subordinates, and was also fully clothed.

The remainder of their evening passed in something of a blur of friends and entertainment, and the drink or two they had intended to have turned into… well, more than two, at least, Aleyn wasn’t really keeping track. Ardith had a better head for alcohol than he did, though. She steadied him as they made their farewells and descended the stairs to their waiting carriage.

“Did you have fun?” he asked her as they got settled into the comfortable leather seat and the carriage pulled away from the club. 

“It was certainly interesting,” she replied. “I’m still not sure I’d want to do some of those things in public, but in private might be a different matter.”

Aleyn nodded. “Some people enjoy having an audience, but I know what you mean.” He leaned against her, running his fingers over the smooth silk of her skirt. “What did you think looked most interesting?” 

In the faint light, it was difficult to tell if she was blushing or not, but she sounded a little shy and thoughtful as she answered. “I thought some of the ropework was quite lovely - I didn’t know it could be so intricate. What about you, what did you like?”

“Did you notice the orc woman wearing the strap-on?” Aleyn asked, and continued when she shook her head, “I could tell her boyfriend, husband, whatever, was a bit nervous as she was showing it off to their friends, but excited too. I kind of wished they’d put on a show for everyone, but they were just planning for later.” He leaned closer, murmuring against her ear, “It reminded me of you… of us.”

Now she definitely was blushing - he could feel the warmth of her cheek, so close to his lips. “Oh, did it?”

“Absolutely. Although you look much hotter when you’re wearing your huge cock than she did,” he teased.

“When I saw it at the wedding I thought it had to be a joke, it was too big,” Ardith replied, matching his playful tone. “I was sure it would never fit.”

Aleyn laughed. “You’d be surprised what you can make fit,” he said, “with enough patience and a bit of oil to help things along. Or maybe you wouldn’t, anymore,” he added, taking her hand in his and giving it a tight squeeze.

Nodding, Ardith gripped his hand. “And you like it, don’t you?”

“I do,” Aleyn assured her. “I like getting fucked by you… you’re so gentle, and sweet, and… and I love you.” He felt tipsy still, and the alcohol emboldened him. Shifting in his seat, he turned to look directly at her. “I think you’re so sexy,” he told his partner, and leaned in to kiss her.

Ardith parted her lips, eager. “You are too,” she said when they finally separated for a breath. “I want you, Aleyn.”

Aleyn nodded, rising up on with one knee on the seat so that he could look down on her, bending low enough not to hit his head on the roof of the carriage and wrapping his arm around her shoulders to turn her towards him. He stroked her cheek with his other hand, running it up to twine it in her long silvery-blue tendrils. She was wearing them down tonight, falling loosely to her shoulders. He ran his fingers through them, and in the faint light he could see her close her eyes, feel her breathing harder. When he reached the point where the thick strands emerged from behind her frills, he gripped them tighter and smiled as her eyes shot open. She didn’t protest - and in fact he was sure he wasn’t really hurting her, her tendrils were tougher than hair would be - but instead gave an almost imperceptible nod. He knotted his fingers more tightly and tugged her head back, tilting her face up towards his as he leaned over her. “You want me?” he repeated quietly but firmly.

“Yes, please,” she whispered, eyes wide and glistening in the moonlight.

“Then tell me what you want. And I want to hear you use the words I like - those dirty, low-class words coming out of your refined, ladylike mouth.” He traced one finger along her lips as he spoke.

“Oh,” she breathed. “I… I want to suck your cock, Aleyn. I want your big, hard dick in my hand so I can stroke it and lick it and make you come.”

“Right here in the carriage?” he teased. “Even if someone might see?” As it was past midnight and the streets were deserted, the chances of being observed were slim (well, other than by Hiranek, their driver, who might overhear something but could be counted on to keep quiet), but he wanted to make her think about the possibility.

“Right here,” she agreed, and ran her hand down the front of his tightly fitted pants, which were pulled still tighter by his swelling erection. “Let me help with that,” she offered, and began to undo the buttons of his trousers, reaching within to carefully draw him out. His cock stiffened further as she touched him, and he murmured words of approval, telling her how good she was being, how much he wanted it. Playing with her this way, these gentle games of domination and submission, helped him to become more aroused, he realized.

“I love how your cock feels,” she told him, stroking it smoothly. 

He arched an eyebrow. “In your hand?”

“Anywhere,” she said, her smile curving saucily. “Mm, so thick and strong.” She traced the side of one claw playfully along its length, making a shiver run up his spine.

Aleyn grasped her firmly by the wrist, regaining control. “Behave,” he told her with a smile in return. “Now, open your mouth…” She did as instructed, opening wide, letting him begin to tease the tip of his cock against her tongue, gradually pushing deeper until he was completely within her. She stared up at him, silvery eyes wide and trusting. “I’m going to hold you, move you just how I need you,” he said, placing a hand to either side of her head, fingers knotted in her tendrils. Ardith responded with a flutter of eyelids and taking a firm grip on his ass, claws gently digging into his skin. Despite the occasional jostling of the carriage, they kept one another steady as he pulled back and then thrust his way into her mouth again, being careful to avoid her teeth. “Good girl,” he murmured, running his thumb along her cheekbone before he began fucking her face in earnest. She accepted it eagerly, tonguing him whenever she could, never taking her eyes off his face. 

Before too long, Aleyn had to brace himself against the back of the carriage, but he kept guiding Ardith’s movements with his other hand, urging her to go faster as he drew close to his peak. With a few final thrusts and a groan that he didn’t even attempt to stifle, he came against the back of her throat. She swallowed hastily, and was still panting for air as he slid back into his seat, his legs shaky from the strain of holding himself upright through it all. “Aleyn,” she gasped, and he turned to her, worried for a moment that perhaps he’d gone too far. “So incredible,” she sighed contentedly, leaning back and licking her lips with a pleasantly dazed look on her face. 

“I’m glad,” he told her when he had his breath back, and took her hand. “You did wonderfully, darling.”

They leaned against one another, each lost for a moment in their private contemplation of what had happened, what it might mean. “My turn now?” Ardith asked eventually, a smile playing about her lips once more.

Aleyn pretended to consider the matter. “Mmm, not right now,” he told her, and was amused at her pout. “For one thing, I believe Vedran’s expecting you to join him tonight, and I wouldn’t want to spoil your fun with him. And for another,” he added, “we’re just about home, and I’m just not that efficient yet.”

“Oh fine,” Ardith agreed reluctantly, glancing out the carriage window as they approached their house, where a light illuminated the doorway. “But you know, it wouldn’t spoil things with Vedran… I can do this more than once, remember?”

Aleyn chuckled. “Fine, there’s a third reason too. I want to make you wait for it. I want you to go to him squirming and wet and eager. You can tell him what happened, if you like, or you can let him wonder... You’ll still get what you want, but you’ll have more time to anticipate it. And you can thank me later - both of you.”

“I’m sure we’ll find a way,” she smirked, giving him a quick squeeze before he got his trousers fastened again just as the carriage was drawing to a halt. “Are you sure you won’t join us?”

“Honestly, the main thing I want right now is sleep,” he admitted, though the thought was tempting. However, the orgasm on top of the drinks he’d had made the prospect of anything more complicated seem rather unlikely. “Have fun, though. By tomorrow I should have recovered enough for anything you might want to get up to.” 

Hiranek was politely expressionless as he opened the door for them. Aleyn descended from the carriage and offered Ardith his hand to help her down as well. Arm in arm, they walked up to the door and entered the house. It was quiet, the children and most of the staff long since in bed. After checking in briefly on the kids to make sure they were sleeping soundly, Ardith gave Aleyn a kiss on the cheek. “Go get some rest,” she murmured. “Vedran can take care of me.”

“Yes, he can,” Aleyn agreed. “But if he’s fast asleep and you can’t bear to wake him, you know where to find me.”

Ardith chuckled quietly. “You’ll be asleep too in five minutes. If it comes to that, I can take care of myself.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at [naryrising](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/naryrising) if you want to ask questions, make requests, or chat!


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